Battle Dress

There’s something that bothers me about this picture but what bothers me more is that I can’t work out what it is, that bothers me.

It’s a female in front of a few guys, no big deal. If it was Suzi Quatro standing in front of a backing group I’d probably join in and start singing, The Wild One.

This is commercially inspired advertising, marketing from a clothing company, with this season’s message to women.

Here’s another old picture, from the archives of Feminism.

If you watched the video clip, then you’re looking at 3 snapshots about 50 years apart that span the last century.

When it comes to the battle of the sexes, combat fatigues can be a serious business. If you are old enough to remember back last century when women wore dresses and skirts only, you might also remember the roaring national debate in conservative New Zealand as to whether women should wear this new thing called trouser suits. The issue briefly surfaced again when Helen Clark as our new prime minister wore trousers to her first meeting with the Queen.

Is there a bigger message, a more threatening message in this latest take on the clothing issues that cross the genders?

There’s more to this than meets the eye, so help me out here, what’s going on in this latest round of daily battle dress?

Adding in this last picture in relation to the discussion in comments 4 an 5.

I thought it best to get a woman’s opinion so I asked Wellington artist;

M.R.
@artymicheline

The only thing wrong is our gender biases and the meaning we give to attire. So she wears a suit, np, but in our view it has the implication that she has to wear the suit to be in the same team as the big boys, by their stance, the suit is a symbol of power. I’d much rather see this image [Oscars man in a dress] of men dressed as women with her dressed as our definition of womanly attire to show equality than the other way around

So, I should take from that?
Women should have their own power suits but if men want to be girls they’re welcome to feminise themselves.

Answer:

Yes, I think we’re all human and equal. Attire is just costume and we should be able to dress the way we want. The fact that we associate meaning to how one dresses has everything to do with our history and baggage we carry. 🙂

What’s wrong with the actual picture. Especially the models expression when you look at it in isolation?

Answer:

I see it as an image of a female at the forefront with a predatory look to show that she is leader? I don’t know…what do you think? What do you see?

Clarification sought:

That’s what I’m thinking too a seductive look rather than a business look. So does this image portray getting you a man rather than suggest success in the business world – would a woman get that message?

Answer:

I don’t know as immediately I saw it as a construct to manipulate. I don’t see it as a way of getting a partner nor success in the business world.I just see it as an image construct meant to show that women can be at forefront but fails because of the need to portray her as sexy.

Men wearing dresses/women wearing suits to the Oscars doesn’t bother me. An awards ceremony is a spectacle, where the actors are advertising themselves, & their movies. Re Hallenstines, I bet their suits are a 100x cheaper than at a women’s clothing shop. Heading there now.

@6 So, should we assume that the model has difficulty in portraying herself in any other way other than sexy?

And I thinking about this from the point of view of sexual harassment complaints.

This from Cecile Meier.
”
The ad, promoting “The Power of the Suit” (a power obviously reserved to men exclusively, as well as the right to have pockets and walk the streets free from sexual harassment) has Evans wearing a men’s tailored skinny fit suit in the photo-shoot.
”

A men’s clothing store marketing its woke awareness without realizing the current trend is virtue signaling and the rise of the divine idol.

You can understand the Oscar man being flavor of the day with them.

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